Evangelicals and Social Concern

Abstract

Evangelical Christianity is recognized today as a large and growing movement in the United States. Current estimates of evangelical numerical strength vary widely from 30 to 65 million people, and in the state of Hawaii, the figure has been estimated at about 60,000 people. This particular type of Christianity has been noted for an emphasis on evangelism and the personal experience of conversion known popularly as the "born again" experience. A criticism often wade of this characteristic is that it leeds to a weak sense of social concern and is a faulty approach o social problems. Evangelicals are said to prefer to concentrate on individuals, attempting to reform society by reforming individuals one by one through personal evangelism. The recent exercise of evangelical strength which helped to elect conservative candidates while ousting prominent liberals is seen as consistent with this trait, reflecting a traditional commitment to support of the status quo and opposition to social action to promote positive social change.